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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26533246">Things that go bump in the night</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/whumpertrooper/pseuds/whumpertrooper'>whumpertrooper</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Doctor Blake Mysteries</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Weekly Whump Prompt Challenge</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:42:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,877</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26533246</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/whumpertrooper/pseuds/whumpertrooper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlie and night shifts just don't mix well.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Things that go bump in the night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Another short one for the whump prompt over at discord [prompt was headache+blurry].</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="xcontrast">
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p></p>
    <div>
      <p>Charlie hated night shifts. Well, hate was perhaps a strong word, but at the moment, he really wasn't a fan. Breaking up a bar fight in the middle of the night with only two more constables offering help was anything but enjoyable.</p>
      <p>It was shortly past 10pm when he got the call about the altercation and it took him fifteen minutes to round up the two men and get to the pub.</p>
      <p>The fight was already in full swing and so Charlie, Jim and Evan jumped into the fray without much thinking, pulling the punching and kicking drunks off of each other.</p>
      <p>"Police! Disperse!" Charlie and the other cops shouted even as they were grabbing at flailing arms. Some of the people around were sober enough to get out of the way, but there was a group that was too enwrapped in the conflict to notice.</p>
      <p>That was how Charlie ended up jumping on a burly man's back, trying to wrap his arm around his neck and force him to the ground. He might have miscalculated a bit. The man let out an angry roar at the sudden disruption and without much thought; he reared backwards, straight at the nearest wall. Like trying to get rid of a pest, the man threw himself at the wall. Of course there was Charlie between him and the brick, so he didn't hurt himself.</p>
      <p>Same couldn't be said for Charlie.</p>
      <p>He felt his back collide with the wall, his head going with the motion and slamming back.</p>
      <p>The blow was like something had exploded inside his skull. His teeth snapped together, barely missing his tongue. The world had vanished into a shower of white stars. For a moment there was no sound, no movement, except for the sharp pain and the feeling of shock of the contact reverberating through his bones.</p>
      <p>Charlie's arms let go and he found himself sliding down the wall, the behemoth returning to the fight barely taking notice.</p>
      <p>Charlie blinked, the stars vanishing in the background. The shaky feeling stayed but he managed to take in a raspy breath.</p>
      <p>He thought he must've blacked out but as his sight cleared he saw that the fight was still going on, the scene the same as it was before his impromptu deployment.</p>
      <p>Gritting his teeth, he struggled up to his feet. He pulled out his baton and with new resolve delved into the fray.</p>
      <p>Several minutes and bruises later, Charlie and the constables were leading out three drunks. The fourth one was lying unconscious on the floor, awaiting the arrival of ambulance crew.</p>
      <p>It took almost an hour to sort everything out, take statements and get the drunks into the cells to let them sleep it off.</p>
      <p>Charlie decided to send Evan home as he was nursing some bruised ribs and grimacing at every movement. Jim only had a black eye and was in relatively high spirits, because he managed to knock out the biggest guy, the one that Charlie lost control of.</p>
      <p>Charlie didn't protest, he just slid down into the chair behind his desk and sent Jim to keep an eye on the prisoners. If any one of them seemed to be in trouble, they would have to call a doctor or the ambulance. And Charlie really didn't want to wake up the Blake household unnecessarily.</p>
      <p>That left him alone in the office. He checked the doors were locked - it was only a few months since Ned's death and Charlie was rather paranoid about night shifts since then.</p>
      <p>Once he was satisfied everything was secured, he settled back behind the desk and for a moment just leaned over and rested his head in his palms.</p>
      <p>He had mostly forgotten about the body slam, too busy of trying to keep an eye on everything and not having to call in Lawson or Hobart for backup like some newbie. His whole body was throbbing and he had a headache, but otherwise he didn't pay much attention to his own physical well being. Not until he managed to sit down in the quiet and empty office.</p>
      <p>He noted the dull buzzing inside his ears about the same moment his eyes slipped close and he let out a groan. What a bloody night.</p>
      <p>He knew he would have to fill out a ton of paperwork before morning came and even though he preferred that to doing nothing over the night shift, the growing headache was making him wary of the task.</p>
      <p>What time was it anyway?</p>
      <p>He raised his head to look at his watch when he felt the dull pain rise and shoot through the middle of his skull and jab angrily at the front.</p>
      <p>Charlie hissed and stilled, one hand slowly reaching up to massage the bridge of his nose.</p>
      <p>The pain abated with the lack of movement and Charlie dared to let out a breath. Leaning forward a bit, slowly and carefully, he reached with his left hand to touch the back of his skull. He hoped there was no blood.</p>
      <p>His fingers didn't encounter anything slippery, but he could feel an already big sized lump, stretching his skin painfully. He hissed as even the slightest touch caused his head to throb mercilessly.</p>
      <p>'Great. There goes sleeping on my back.' He didn't think he would be able to tolerate any pressure, even that of the pillow.</p>
      <p>He pulled his hand back and sighed.</p>
      <p>At least there was no blood.</p>
      <p>While the headache was a nuisance and the bump would be an even bigger one, once he was required to put on his police cap, Charlie didn't think the injury was serious enough to make a fuss about.</p>
      <p>Good. He really didn't fancy having to report to Lawson about getting another smack on the head so soon after the last one, albeit with much less repercussions.</p>
      <p>Thinking of reports, he better start on his. A look at his watch told him he had maybe six more hours until the morning shift started coming in and there was no saying if the night would be calm or they'll get another call. Better get right to it.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Fortunately, the night had indeed been calm. He only had to send out Jim once to check a disturbance at a nearby farm, though the constable couldn't find anything wrong at the place, except of a broken fence, which perhaps needed a bit more investigating in the morning. Charlie was grateful for that, because frankly he wasn't sure whether they would have enough cells if there were more drunks or perps to be brought in.</p>
      <p>Despite the lack of more 'action', the night had passed surprisingly quickly. Charlie was reluctant to admit, even to himself, that perhaps it was caused more by the fact he managed to catch an impromptu nap while Jim was out and about on the call.</p>
      <p>Charlie wasn't even sure how, it wasn't like he planned to sleep, but filling out paperwork with a headache had to be one of the most torturous tasks. Especially during the night, when he needed to use the sharp table lamp to see.</p>
      <p>Charlie kept blinking away the blurry letters, taking breaks every few minutes just to rest his eyes. He didn't even realize he was squinting until he felt his eyes burning from the strain. Perhaps during one of these short breaks he simply fell asleep.</p>
      <p>He wasn't proud of it, cursing himself for such recklessness, especially with Jim out on call. He came to with a startle as he heard the knock on the front door. For a second he didn't know what was going on and he jumped up to his feet, wavering dangerously. He had to grab the desk for balance and it was the crinkling of paper under his hand that brought in the reality of his whereabouts. Charlie cursed and upon hearing another rapt knock, he headed towards the door. Running a hand over his face and hair, he hoped he didn't look as sleepy as he felt.</p>
      <p>When he let the constable in, the man just shot him a weary look, his own black eye glaring garishly.</p>
      <p>"You look like crap, serge," Jim said with a twitch of his lips. Charlie snorted.</p>
      <p>"Pot calling the kettle black," he muttered. "Can you even see out of that eye?"</p>
      <p>Jim shrugged.</p>
      <p>"Enough to spot the tire tracks leading from Partridge's broken fence," he answered tiredly and Charlie grimaced. That meant they would have to investigate. Or well... leave it to the morning shift. Though that still left them with the task of writing down a report.</p>
      <p>Charlie sighed, running a hand over his face, then nodding (and wincing) towards the office.</p>
      <p>"Write that down so the guys can check it in the morning. I'll go check on our esteemed guests. Need to stretch my legs anyway."</p>
      <p>Jim nodded and Charlie headed down to the cells. All was silent there except for the chainsaw competition. All three drunks were snoring loudly, one of them adding an occasional mumble and moan. Charlie stepped closer to the cell, hoping the man wasn't moaning from pain. When he heard the muddled utterance of a woman's name and saw a sappy look on the guy's face, he rolled his eyes and turned on his heels.</p>
      <p>Seemed like the lucky bastards were faring better than he and Jim. His only consolation was the fact that morning come, the trio would surely be hit by a nasty hangover. If not that, then their unhappy spouses will take care of the rest.</p>
      <p>Sighing, Charlie headed back up to the office, shooting a look at his watch. One more hour until the morning shift started trickling in... two or three more until Lawson appeared. Charlie would have to wait for him until he could go home, but he didn't mind that too much. It meant that Blake and Jean would have already had their breakfast and won't be paying much attention if he just sneaked up to his room. Somehow he didn't think he would have an appetite for food.</p>
      <p>The throbbing in his head hasn't eased, on the contrary. The nap or rather the abrupt awakening seemed to make it worse. Charlie cringed as he headed up the stairs and each step made his skull jostle.</p>
      <p>"Damn," he uttered when his foot missed a step and he almost fell over. It was eerily similar to his first meeting with Blake, when the man pulled his leg out from under him on the staircase to prove the point. Only this time there was no one else to blame but his own clumsiness.</p>
      <p>With a sigh, Charlie righted himself. He just needed to last a few more hours. Then he could go home, take a shower and slip under the covers. Hopefully, eight uninterrupted hours of sleep would take care of the headache. Until then he could grab one of the pills in his desk that lay there forgotten from the last time he had his head bashed in. Yes, he would just take one of those and persevere through the next few hours.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>By the time Lawson arrived to the station, Charlie was fighting back the urge to grit his teeth. It wasn't so much the effort to stay awake as the fact the station was <em>loud</em>. He cringed whenever someone arrived at work and hollered a morning greeting. He cursed silently when Jim started regaling the others with last night's events, accompanied by wild gestures and sound effects. What made him leave the office and find escape outside on the bench, taking in deep breaths of fresh morning air, was the whistling of the stupid kettle.</p>
      <p>It felt like someone was stabbing a needle through his ears and into his brain. He had to leave or he would have snapped at each and every person inside the room.</p>
      <p>He was still trying to force down his irritation, when a familiar limping gait caught his attention. Charlie grimaced then tried to put a neutral look on his face.</p>
      <p>"Morning Boss," he said, looking up at the approaching figure.</p>
      <p>Lawson grunted, giving him a once over.</p>
      <p>"Any reason you're lounging outside at the end of your shift?"</p>
      <p>Charlie shrugged.</p>
      <p>"Couldn't wait to see you," he quipped and stood up, making sure his movement wasn't too fast or too slow for Lawson to take notice of something amiss. The man's eyes narrowed a bit but he didn't comment.</p>
      <p>"The office too crowded for you?"</p>
      <p>"No, Boss. Just needed a bit of fresh air," Charlie admitted, hoping Lawson would leave it at that.</p>
      <p>"Anything interesting happened during the night?" Lawson asked as they both started back towards the building.</p>
      <p>Charlie used the walk to fill him in on the pub brawl as well as Partridge's broken fence. As he spoke, Lawson's face grew more stony.</p>
      <p>"Any reason you didn't call for backup?" he asked when Charlie mentioned Evan suffering some bruised ribs and Jim's black eye.</p>
      <p>"By the time anyone could arrive it would've been over either way," Charlie said to his defence. "And we handled it."</p>
      <p>Lawson shot him a look and Charlie made a point of straightening his back and holding his gaze. He was rather glad when the man just gave a curt nod.</p>
      <p>"Any other injuries to report?" Lawson asked, raising an eyebrow.</p>
      <p>Charlie froze.</p>
      <p>"The men in the cells might need to be looked over by the Doc once they sober up," he said a bit uncertainly. Should he mention the bump on his head?</p>
      <p>In the light of the day it seemed ridiculous. Charlie bore no obvious bruises and he wasn't a child, running to his father with every small nick and scrape. Even his headache had seemed to diminish at the prospect of the bed and sleep in his near future. Hell, the fresh air outside chased away most of his sleepiness too.</p>
      <p>Lawson's eyes narrowed.</p>
      <p>"Alright then. Off you go, Davis," Lawson said, giving him a dismissive wave, even as his focus turned towards the reports on his desk.</p>
      <p>Charlie gave a small nod and turned around, grabbing his jacket and hat. He forced back a wince when the brim of the hat touched the bump, but didn't make a sound. He allowed himself a breath of relief only once he was outside, out of anyone's earshot. Freedom.</p>
      <p>Now he just had to get himself home.</p>
      <p>With a much less enthused sigh, he headed towards the nearest bus stop.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>The bus ride was anything but kind to Charlie. The rattling of the engine, combined with an occasional too sudden stop made him wish he had just walked home. Or called a cab. Surely that would have been less painful and sickening.</p>
      <p>By the time he exited the bus, Charlie's undershirt was damp with sweat. He had to take a few minutes of rest right at the bus stop before he felt steady enough to walk the few hundred meters home.</p>
      <p>He knew he needed to pull it together before reaching the house, otherwise he would risk a barrage of questions he had no intention of answering. Really, all he wanted now was his bed. Perhaps staying still would keep the throbbing at bay. Right now he had to bite down a groan every few steps as the movement sent jolts of pain through his skull.</p>
      <p>Charlie looked at the house and grimaced when he saw Blake's car still in place. He was half hoping the man had already left and that Jean might be off on a grocery run or something and he could just slip in unnoticed. This wasn't the case however, so he pushed through the discomfort and entered the house.</p>
      <p>First thing he noticed was Blake's voice. Charlie paused in the hallway, seeing the man's back to him, talking on the phone.</p>
      <p>"Mhm..." Blake seemed to be listening intently then gave a nod. "Anything else you noticed?" He asked and Charlie decided he didn't really care what the call was about. He took off his shoes rather clumsily, not really trying to be subtle. Blake must've caught the sound, because he turned and gave him a short smile.</p>
      <p>"Alright Matthew, thanks for the call. I will stop by shortly."</p>
      <p>Blake finished the call and turned fully towards Charlie, before he could manage to slink off.</p>
      <p>"Charlie! Just in time... I think the pancakes are still warm," Blake said with a smile and Charlie forced back a cringe at the too cheery and loud tone.</p>
      <p>"Uh... I'm not that hungry," he hedged carefully, hoping it would be enough to allow him free passage towards his room. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. Blake's smile didn't slip, it was just accompanied by the smallest of frowns.</p>
      <p>"Nonsense. As I heard, you had a rather eventful night. Seeing as I'll have to stop by at the station to check on those buggers, I'd love to hear what happened first."</p>
      <p>Charlie sighed, about to run a hand over his head when he realized that would be a foolish gesture.</p>
      <p>"It was nothing, Doc . Just a couple of drunks getting into it. It was over fast."</p>
      <p>"Oh well. Still, you look like you can do with some breakfast. What were they even fighting about?"</p>
      <p>Charlie opened his mouth to kindly but strongly decline the request, but in that moment Jean stepped out of the kitchen and shot him a smile of her own.</p>
      <p>"Ah, Charlie! Come, I saved a plate for you, the pancakes are still warm! Do you want tea or coffee?" she asked and for the life of him Charlie didn't have the heart to tell her no.</p>
      <p>He sighed.</p>
      <p>"Tea is fine, Jean. Thank you," he said and her cheery smile almost made the throbbing in his head dull. Almost.</p>
      <p>"Splendid. Now you can tell me all about the fight. Matthew mentioned you've got young Damon in the cells. How on earth did you manage that? Last time he got into a brawl, I had to treat broken bones and the dentist had work for several days."</p>
      <p>Charlie swallowed, barely hiding a groan. Oh yeah, he could just imagine.</p>
      <p>"He was drunk. And Jim got in a lucky shot," Charlie muttered, even as he was heading to the kitchen, accepting the fact his bed would have to wait a bit longer.</p>
      <p>Blake chuckled, giving Charlie a friendly pat on the back as he passed by and followed him to the table.</p>
      <p>Charlie settled down, hoping he would manage at least some of the pancakes Jean had put on his plate. He wasn't exactly nauseous, but the bus ride had rattled his stomach.</p>
      <p>Blake had sat back down in his chair and Charlie knew he would start asking questions, he could see it on the man's face.</p>
      <p>"What did the Boss want?" Charlie asked, trying to sound only mildly interested and not worried about the possibility that Lawson called about some new case. He'd rather prefer the next few days to go over as calmly as possible.</p>
      <p>"Ah, he wants me to stop by and make sure all three men in your custody are hale enough to get reamed out," Blake said with a smirk and Charlie caught a sound that was closer to a snort than a cough coming from Jean behind him.</p>
      <p>Charlie just raised an eyebrow in question. Based on the frowning look on Blake's face when he arrived, he was pretty sure he and Lawson had been talking about something else, but he had no idea how to figure it out. Or whether he even should. For all he knew Blake and Lawson were planning on digging up another grave or something.</p>
      <p>Sighing, he looked down at his plate. He barely ate half a pancake but he wasn't sure he wanted more. To his dismay, he looked up to see that Blake was watching him with certain curiosity. Charlie froze.</p>
      <p>"Doc?" he asked, confused and unsettled.</p>
      <p>"Alright there Charlie?" Blake said with a piercing gaze and Charlie blinked.</p>
      <p>"Uh... yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"</p>
      <p>Blake nodded towards his plate.</p>
      <p>"Not that hungry, aye?"</p>
      <p>Charlie had looked back down at his plate and saw that he had managed to butcher the other pancake with the fork in the meantime. Somehow. He didn't notice.</p>
      <p>He gave an apologetic shrug, feeling bad when Jean looked at him with a frown.</p>
      <p>"Is there something wrong with the pancakes?" she asked and Charlie quickly shook his head then gritted his teeth as it sent a spark of pain through his skull.</p>
      <p>"Uh no, Jean. They're fantastic as always."</p>
      <p>She raised a brow.</p>
      <p>Charlie cleared his throat and decided that he better leave before spilling his beans. Or pancakes.</p>
      <p>He could see on Blake's face that the man wanted something from him. He was aware he would have trouble outsmarting the man under the best of circumstances, and today the circumstances definitely weren't perfect. As such, Charlie knew his best option was a quick escape.</p>
      <p>Trouble was, he didn't realize that quick wasn't the right speed to use at this moment.</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry, it was a long night and I think I need to hit the bed. Thank you for the breakfast-" Charlie stood up, intent on putting his plate away for later consumption.</p>
      <p>The sudden change of position though caused a spike of pain inside his skull.</p>
      <p>The room tilted. He couldn't hold back the hiss of pain as his left hand shot up to his forehead, while the right one tried to find a purchase.</p>
      <p>His hand brushed the table and he heard a loud clank as some of the utensils fell to the floor. He didn't really care though, he was just glad his hand landed on the desk and he could put some weight on it.</p>
      <p>His eyes were closed shut as he pushed the palm of his hand against his forehead, seemingly trying to push back the pain.</p>
      <p>He could feel a hand grabbing his arm in support and he opened his eyes, startled.</p>
      <p>Blake was there, with a frown on his face. A few feet away from him stood Jean, looking equally concerned.</p>
      <p>Charlie cursed silently. So much for not worrying them.</p>
      <p>He lowered his hand from his head and put on a slightly sheepish smile.</p>
      <p>"Uh... sorry?" he tried, hoping against all hope they would somehow ignore the scene.</p>
      <p>Blake's frown turned into a calculating look and Charlie wanted to cringe away. Blake still had a firm grip on his arm though and he was now pointedly pushing him to sit back on the kitchen chair. Charlie didn't have the wherewithal to escape the hold.</p>
      <p>"What exactly are you apologizing for?" Blake asked at the same time as Jean moved forward, face creased in worry.</p>
      <p>"Are you alright Charlie?" she asked, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.</p>
      <p>Charlie felt his face heat up. Really, this was the exact opposite of playing it cool.</p>
      <p>"Uh... yes. Sorry. For... the mess?" he said, shooting a look at the floor and the discarded fork and knife.</p>
      <p>Jean waved him off with a roll of her eyes, while Blake let out a sigh. One that sounded almost disappointed.</p>
      <p>Charlie wondered if he might try a second escape, but Jean was effectively blocking his route from the right side and Blake... didn't seem willing to budge either.</p>
      <p>"Any reason you're trying to hide what's bothering you?" Blake asked finally and Charlie looked the man in the eyes.</p>
      <p>Nope, he wasn't budging until he got an answer and at this point Charlie was starting to wonder why indeed was he playing this charade. Screw pride, he had nothing to hide really.</p>
      <p>With a shrug he hoped made him look more at ease than he really felt, he gave up.</p>
      <p>"It was just a bump. I didn't want to bother anyone with it."</p>
      <p>Jean grabbed the fallen utensils and straightened up, her eyes narrowing.</p>
      <p>"What bump?" she asked and Charlie knew that if she'd had her hands empty, she would have them crossed over her chest with a disproving look, channelling his own mother.</p>
      <p>"Uhm..."</p>
      <p>He shot a pleading look towards Blake but he was of no help.</p>
      <p>"Probably the one he got during the bar fight?" he spoke calmly and Charlie glared. Did the man wish him harm? Really!</p>
      <p>"Bar fight? Wasn't that last evening though? Surely you wouldn't be walking around with some injury all night?"</p>
      <p>"Around eleven if I heard correctly," Blake said and Charlie could feel Jean's eyes boring into his face.</p>
      <p>"It's nothing!" he said strongly, or so he thought, because neither Jean nor Blake looked convinced.</p>
      <p>"Where's that 'bump'?" Blake asked with a sigh even as he pulled up his chair so he was now within reach.</p>
      <p>Charlie gave up. He ran a hand over the back of his head, wincing as his fingers encountered the swelling flesh.</p>
      <p>Jean stepped behind him to take a peek and he instinctively turned his head to look up at her, vary of the touch.</p>
      <p>She shot him an unimpressed look but before he could say anything, Blake had reached out and grasped his chin, gently but firmly nudging him to turn back to him.</p>
      <p>"Look at me," he said and Charlie did.</p>
      <p>"Good. Now follow my finger... just with the eyes," he added as Charlie's head moved to follow.</p>
      <p>Charlie sighed.</p>
      <p>"Doc, I'm fine, really," he muttered in protest, then blinked.</p>
      <p>"Your vision bothering you?" Blake asked even as his deft fingers started checking Charlie's skull for any sign of injury. Mercifully, it seemed like he was leaving the indicated painful spot for the last, but Charlie still grimaced as the touch made his already throbbing skull feel... just a bit more sensitive, to the point of discomfort.</p>
      <p>"No," Charlie replied the question and Blake paused, raising an eyebrow.</p>
      <p>"Really? Because when Matthew called to check on you, he said your reports looked like you wrote them drunk."</p>
      <p>Charlie blinked, startled.</p>
      <p>"Huh?" he asked, dumbfounded. Blake chose just that moment to reach the source of all of Charlie's discomfort and instead of a follow up question, Charlie hissed in pain. He pulled away, one hand shooting to the back of his head to sooth the painful spot and to protect it from more manipulation.</p>
      <p>"My apologies, Charlie. But that is quite an impressive goose egg you have there," he said and stood to circle around Charlie.</p>
      <p>"Can you... not touch it?" Charlie uttered through gritted teeth, turning on the chair to keep the back of his head out of reach.</p>
      <p>Blake gave him a slightly affronted look.</p>
      <p>"I can hardly check it out without touching, don't you think?"</p>
      <p>The tone of his voice clearly said Charlie was acting childish and he felt his cheeks heat up in sudden embarrassment. What the hell was his problem? This was Blake, trying to be helpful, and he was acting like a freaked out kid.</p>
      <p>"Uh... right. Sorry. It just... hurt," Charlie muttered and turned his back to Blake, showing his trust. He was proud when he didn't even twitch as Blake put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a small pat.</p>
      <p>"I'll be careful, Charlie," Blake assured him and true to his words, when he inspected the wound, his fingers probing at the skin around it, it was clear he was trying to be gentle about it. It still didn't ease the discomfort of the pressure and Charlie had to fight down the urge to pull away.</p>
      <p>"Alright. I don't think there's much we can do for that, except keep an eye on the swelling. Perhaps some ice wouldn't be amiss?" Blake spoke and before Charlie could say anything, Jean was already rummaging through the freezer.</p>
      <p>"Thank you," Charlie muttered as soon he was handed a clean cloth wrapped around some ice. Without hesitation he pressed it against the bump. He grimaced at the initial pain but then let out a sigh of relief as the cold quickly numbed the place.</p>
      <p>"Better?" Blake asked, leaning against the table and eyeing Charlie curiously.</p>
      <p>Charlie squirmed under the look, uncertain. Was he free to go? Should he even try or would he risk another spike of pain?</p>
      <p>"Uh... can I leave?" he asked after a moment.</p>
      <p>"In a minute, Charlie. Tell me, what really happened?"</p>
      <p>Charlie sighed.</p>
      <p>"Nothing, really. I just... jumped on Damon's back and he decided best way to get rid of me was slam me against the wall. I... hit my head in the process."</p>
      <p>Blake nodded, gesturing for Charlie to continue.</p>
      <p>"There's nothing else, Doc. I swear. I got back up and Jim already had a handle on him. I spent the rest of the night writing up reports..." Charlie cringed. "Were they really all messed up?" he asked worriedly. He put so much work into them and he was so tired... the thought of having to redo all of them made his stomach churn in apprehension,</p>
      <p>"Mostly spelling errors... I'm sure Matthew will understand once you explain the situation."</p>
      <p>Charlie winced. Explaining this to his boss wasn't something he was looking forward to. Perhaps...</p>
      <p>"Uh... maybe it would be better coming from you?" he tried and Blake chuckled.</p>
      <p>"Well, that depends. What was the issue?"</p>
      <p>Charlie shrugged.</p>
      <p>"The light made the headache worse... I had to turn it aside. But then I couldn't really see the keys on the typewriter..."</p>
      <p>"Mhm. Light still bothering you?"</p>
      <p>Charlie started to shake his head but stopped in time.</p>
      <p>"Not really."</p>
      <p>"Loud sounds?"</p>
      <p>Charlie shrugged. Most of the things felt irritating right now, from sounds to smells. Even the usually good tasting pancakes tasted a bit off.</p>
      <p>"Do you remember everything that happened when you got hit?"</p>
      <p>Charlie wanted to say yes but then paused, thinking.</p>
      <p>"Uh... how would I know if I didn't?" he asked and next to him Jean chuckled.</p>
      <p>"He got you there," she muttered with a smirk. Blake's lips twitched too.</p>
      <p>"I still want an answer, Charlie," he added and Charlie shrugged.</p>
      <p>"Not to my knowledge. Doc... this is really nothing. I didn't even black out," Charlie said, hoping that would be enough to persuade the man to see he was overreacting.</p>
      <p>"You don't have to black out to get a head injury, Charlie. Especially if you already have a history of concussions. The more knocks on the head you get, the more danger there is of permanent damage."</p>
      <p>Charlie swallowed.</p>
      <p>"I'm fine. Just need to get some sleep and I'll be good as new for next shift." He hoped that will be true at least. It was enough he messed up the reports but having to redo them with the same headache would be pure torture.</p>
      <p>"Well, you got one thing right. Sleep should help. But you're most definitely not going to work tonight."</p>
      <p>"What?" Charlie frowned. "Doc, it's my last shift then I've the weekend off. Really, there's no reason to-" Charlie got up, intent on proving his point. When he faltered, the words fell from his lips. Blake was there, pulling his arm over his shoulder and before the darkness around the edge of his vision cleared, Charlie was being led up the stairs towards his bedroom.</p>
      <p>"Am fine," he protested but they were already on the stairs and Blake wasn't about to let go.</p>
      <p>"Sure you are," the man said reassuringly even as he kept leading him to the room. "Nothing a few days of rest won't fix."</p>
      <p>"I can't miss work," Charlie whined as they reached his door. Blake finally let go of him and Charlie made it to his bed, sitting down more carefully than usual, aware of its bounciness.</p>
      <p>"Let's be clear, Charlie. You can't afford to go to work right now."</p>
      <p>Charlie frowned, ready to voice another protest but Blake shook his head.</p>
      <p>"No. Listen to me. The fact you had so much trouble with your reports is a bit worrying, especially seeing as it is from a knock that didn't even render you unconscious. We still don't know what kind of long term effects a concussion can have and you had what... two other head injuries in the past six months? I'd rather let this one heal than risk anything."</p>
      <p>"You let me go back the last two times," Charlie muttered obstinately.</p>
      <p>"We were in the middle of investigations and you were too stubborn to stay home. But there's no need for you to be running around right now. Or do you really wish to spend the next few days fixing up reports constantly?"</p>
      <p>Charlie grimaced. Just the idea of having to focus on the letters made his head throb. Perhaps staying home for the weekend...</p>
      <p>He frowned.</p>
      <p>"It's just for the weekend, right?"</p>
      <p>Blake shrugged noncommittally, which made Charlie frown more.</p>
      <p>"Doc!"</p>
      <p>"We will see, Charlie. You really don't have to worry about that now."</p>
      <p>Charlie opened his mouth to say that he <em>did </em>have to worry, but there was a knock on the door and Jean peeked in.</p>
      <p>"Everything alright boys?"</p>
      <p>Blake smirked at being called a boy, while Charlie huffed. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, on one hand wishing for nothing more than to lie down and sleep. On the other though he wanted to argue his case, which...</p>
      <p>Charlie blinked.</p>
      <p>What the hell was he even arguing about?</p>
      <p>"You left this in the kitchen," Jean said as she stepped into the room, holding out the ice bag.</p>
      <p>"Ah yes. Put that back on Charlie and lie down, really. You're waving around like a leaf," Blake commented as he reached out for Charlie's shoulder, most likely to keep him steady.</p>
      <p>Charlie was struggling between irritation and thankfulness. He wanted to snap back at both of them to just leave him alone but at the same time all the fussing made him a tiny bit comforted. It was such a contrast that he felt like screaming.</p>
      <p>He recognized that it wasn't normal but couldn't really handle it. So he took the offered ice pack and pressed it hard against the back of the skull, taking the cold and pain as a welcome distraction.</p>
      <p>"Alright there Charlie?" Blake asked and he gave a silent nod, teeth clenched. If he didn't speak he couldn't say something he would later regret at least.</p>
      <p>Blake gave him a thoughtful look but thankfully didn't ask any more questions. He shot a glance towards Jean, who was hanging around the door, concerned. She raised an eyebrow but then cleared her throat.</p>
      <p>"I'll leave you to sleep. If you need anything, just let me know," she said to both Blake and Charlie, then left.</p>
      <p>"Why don't you change into something more comfortable? I'll bring you something for the pain in the meantime," Blake offered and Charlie raised his eyes to look at him, grunting in reply.</p>
      <p>Blake left the room as well and Charlie finally allowed himself to curse. What the hell was wrong with him? Both Blake and Jean were just trying to help and he felt like he wanted to yell at them, to pace and punch the wall. The emotions came up on him so suddenly it confused the hell out of him.</p>
      <p>Begrudgingly, he decided that taking off his uniform at least was a good idea. Hopefully if he lie down and got some sleep he would wake up feeling... well. If not more rested than at least less irritated.</p>
      <p>By the time there was another knock on the door, Charlie had tossed his uniform to the side and put on a fresh shirt and trousers. He was considering putting his uniform on the chair like a normal person would, but it was lying on the floor and there was no way he was risking leaning down. It was enough he had stumbled into the mattress twice just taking off his pants. It left him feeling slightly nauseated and covered in cold sweat.</p>
      <p>"Come in," Charlie called out with a grunt even as he was crawling under the covers.</p>
      <p>"Bringing some relief," Blake said with a smile and proffered two pills and a glass of water.</p>
      <p>Charlie eyed the offering with some doubt but as another thud resonated through his brain, he reached out and took with graciousness. As long as it would stop the throbbing and allow him some sleep, he didn't really care what he just swallowed.</p>
      <p>"Thanks," he muttered, then with a sigh lie down. Finally horizontal!</p>
      <p>Blake chuckled then patted Charlie's blanket covered leg.</p>
      <p>"I'll let you rest now, but fair warning, either me or Jean will stop by and wake you up a few times."</p>
      <p>Charlie opened his eyes and looked at the Doc with confusion.</p>
      <p>"What for?"</p>
      <p>"Concussion check. No worries, you most likely won't even remember it," Blake joked, ignoring the frustrated groan coming from the bed. He walked across Charlie's room, pulling the drapes on his window closed. He also grabbed the uniform and put it on the chair, though Charlie bemusedly noted the man didn't lose time by folding the garb.</p>
      <p>"Thanks Doc," he managed to mutter even through the still persisting irritation.</p>
      <p>Blake just nodded and left.</p>
      <p>With a sigh, Charlie turned to lie on his left side, trying to get more comfortable. The ice pack was once again melting on the floor where it fell during his attempt at changing clothes, but he didn't much care for retrieving it and Blake was already gone.</p>
      <p>He closed his eyes and hoped to fall asleep right away, but that didn't happen. His brain, however rattled it was, decided to recap the events of the night, interspersed with an occasional memory of other not so fun times he had in the past. Especially during night shifts. First there was the incident when a driver in a van ran over his colleague changing a flat tire, right in front of his eyes. That one left Charlie pretty shaken. However, it had nothing on the faithful night when Ned died.</p>
      <p>Charlie shuddered.</p>
      <p>There was something... unfortunate... about working through the night, when most people were asleep. Usually when something happened it felt just a bit unreal. Much harder to accept than things happening in the light of the day. As if the brain tried to convince the body that it was all just a bad dream. That there was a chance to wake up and all the bad things would be gone.</p>
      <p>Unfortunately, it didn't work like that.</p>
      <p>Charlie groaned and turned onto his other side. Even through the closed drapes there was some sun streaming in, leaving stripes of light on the floor and wall.</p>
      <p>Charlie blinked then sighed. It was actually quite calming.</p>
      <p>He closed his eyes again and felt soothed by the fact he could still feel the light behind his eyelids. While total darkness might've been better for his headache, the light was better for his mind.</p>
      <p>Finally, he felt himself letting go of the tight grasp on consciousness, his body relaxing into the soft mattress and pillows.</p>
      <p>It would have been all perfect, if one single thought hadn't plopped into the forefront of his mind.</p>
      <p>The reports.</p>
      <p>Charlie moaned, burying his face in the pillow.</p>
      <p>Blasted reports. He would have to redo them, he was sure. That thought was closely followed by another though.</p>
      <p>Lawson.</p>
      <p>Charlie felt his heart skip a beat.</p>
      <p>The boss would kill him.</p>
      <p>Not for messing up the reports. Oh no.</p>
      <p>For lying to his face.</p>
      <p>Charlie let out another moan, though it was fortunately muffled by the pillow still pressed against his face. He didn't want the Doc or Jean rushing in, questioning his sanity.</p>
      <p>What the hell would he tell the Boss so that the man wouldn't put him on desk duty indefinitely?</p>
      <p>Charlie wished he could just erase the last night and the following conversation he had with Lawson. If they could both just forget...</p>
      <p>Charlie paused.</p>
      <p>What if...</p>
      <p>Charlie turned his head, mostly because he was starting to have trouble breathing through the pillow. He looked at the window, at the light dancing on the floor.</p>
      <p>What if for once, he actually played up the injury? At least, where Lawson was concerned. Charlie would have to somehow convince the Doc to go with it, but he was sure a few pleading looks to him and Jean would help. Then he could simply pretend that the last night was one big blur. Yes. What was a bit of amnesia in the larger scheme of things... namely, the scheme that Charlie wouldn't get a chewing out?</p>
      <p>Satisfied with this plan, Charlie pulled the blanket up to his chin, moved the spare pillow under his arm and fell asleep.</p>
      <p>When Jean peeked into the room a few minutes later to check if everything was alright, she saw Charlie fast asleep, snoring lightly. She stepped inside the room, folding the clothes on the chair with a roll of her eyes, grabbed the half melted icepack from the floor then turned to look at Charlie before leaving the room.</p>
      <p>Was he smiling?</p>
      <p>Jean's own lips twitched in a smile as she closed the door behind her, shaking her head. She wondered what had Charlie been thinking about. Perhaps she could ask him when he awakes. Hopefully, he wouldn't forget it by then.</p>
      <p>
        <strong>THE END</strong>
      </p>
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